Conversation Partners

Want to learn more about other cultures and improve your language skills and fluency?

Join Conversation Partners!

Conversation Partners is a program at UIC provided through the Office of International Services. It is designed to bring international students with U.S. students to improve language skills and cultural awareness.Internationals can practice their English language skills while domestic students can practice their foreign language skills. Both are able to improve their cultural competencies and gain first-hand language skills by connecting with their peers in-and-out of classroom learning environment.

The Office of International Services will have scheduled times for partners to meet, and they are also encouraged to meet outside of OIS times. To optimize scheduling during the semester, the Office of International Services asks that students meet a total of 5 times. The meetings can be during OIS sponsored Conversation Cafés. Partners are also encouraged to meet outside of these times for convenience of individual schedules for social outings, casual gatherings, or even study sessions. These are all great ways to use and practice language.

At the end of the program, the Conversation Partners will showcase their language skills through a 10 minute presentation using their “partner language” during International Education Week, November 2014. An example of a possible presentation could be, explaining in Chinese by the student learning the language, then translated by in English by the native Chinese speaker, the importance of Chinese Folk Paper Cutting, and its recognition by UNESCO as an “intangible cultural heritage,” for its importance with Chinese culture and traditions. The partners are encouraged to be creative with their projects, but to maintain a focus on the language component. The partner projects after being presented will be displayed in the Office of International Services.

Conversation Partners is a great way for students to gain the opportunity to improve cultural competency and practice a language with a native speaker by engaging in out-of-classroom discussions.